1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to furniture and methods of assembling furniture. More particularly, the present invention relates to assembled tables that are self-leveling and adjustable to various shapes and sizes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modular furniture systems are commonly used, especially in an office environment where interchangeability between various components of furniture is desirable. Further, modular table systems are particularly useful in both office and restaurant environments, where there is often a desire to have smaller tables in one situation, while having the flexibility to join tables to have a larger seating or working area in other situations.
A large variety of ready-to-assemble furniture systems are commercially available at the present time. While such systems do feature ease of assembly, they have often not exhibited the appearance of factory-assembled furniture. For example, certain of the prior art ready-to-assemble systems have exhibited the tendency to loosen up or come apart after extended use. Such systems have included, for example, wood-based office furniture such as desks, credenzas, book cases, lateral files, computer stands, and the like. While such systems offered ease of assembly, they were not necessarily directed toward facilitating the reconfiguration of component parts of a modular furniture system. This is especially the case with modular tables, which, in many environments, require a high degree of professional appeal as well as reliability and ease of assembly.
Specifically, there re several types of expandable tables now in use or disclosed. Guns et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,631) disclose a table joining leaf that is directed towards joining round tables together. While this table arrangement joins independent tables together, it does not ensure that the table top will be smooth and planar. In many office environments, it is highly desirable to have joining table systems that are self-leveling in that the table top thus formed is a smooth, planar surface. This allows the user(s) to perform such tasks as writing and drafting without the need for any secondary cover for the table.
Yeh (U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,126) discloses a table having individually formed units of different geometric shapes. A mortis is formed within the edge of each unit, and tenons are used to help join the abutting mortis edges. The tenons do not run the length of the mortis joint, however, and there is thus no way of making the table tops leveling. Van Vliet et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,835) also disclose a table having multiple units. Again, there is no way of leveling the table top surface in Van Vliet et al., as this invention is directed towards a table top having interchangeable leg members. While the Yeh and Van Vliet et al. tables are adequate for general use, they do not ensure a continuous, smooth top surface as often is required in an office or workstation.
There is a desire in workstation tables to have a continuous, level table tip. Drawing, drafting, writing, and other tasks are often performed on these tables that requires a highly planar table top. Further, in meeting situations, it is desirable to have a table that is professional in appearance such as to have a finished, continuous appearance. There is thus a need for a table that is modular in nature, and self-leveling.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a table that can be formed into various shapes and sizes, while also being self-leveling.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular table assembly that is simple to use and economical.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a modular table assembly that is professional and aesthetically pleasing in appearance once formed.
These and other objects are achieved by providing a self-leveling table assembly comprising at least two table segments having multiple sides and a top surface. Each table segment has interface regions on each side, and each interface region further has a multi-sided half-groove located therein. The at least two table segments abut one another in the table assembly so that the interface regions of each table segment form a complex, symmetrical groove. A hexagonal full-groove is formed there between in the preferred embodiment. To level the table, a hexagonal leveling bar is placed within the full-groove to level the at least two table segments relative to one another, thereby forming a level table, the top surfaces of the segments being within the same plane.
Each table segment has an edging with an extent extending from the table segment bottom surface. This allows the placement of at least one leveling clamp to secure the two abutting interface regions against one another. The leveling bar extends the length of the full-groove formed between the table segments, thereby leveling the table top and providing a continuous, planar surface with minimal discontinuity in the top surface formed.
Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows.